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E90/E91/E92/E93 (2006 - 2013) The E9X is the 4th evolution of the BMW 3 series including a highly tuned twin turbo 335i variant pushing out 300hp and 300 ft. lbs. of torque. BMW continues to show that it sets the bar for true driving performance! -- View the E9X Wiki

Unfortunately it isn't about some trivial $200.
Runflat tires on the E90 wear out very fast and may be an $1100 yearly expense to replace every 10-15K miles or so.

Untrue for current (new) generation RFT as on the E90.
Their wear is comparable to non-RFT´s. The weight is only sligthly higher and the loss in ride comfort (stiffer sidewalls) is compensated by better handling (stiffer sidewalls as well) which in turn allows the chassis to be slightly softer sprung. So in all, with a car specifically s´designed for them (as the E90 is), modern Runflats are a very good alternative.

We're all aware of the downsides RF tires have presented in the past but its pretty clear from various reports of E90 drivers, professional and otherwise, that BMW engineers have spent A LOT of time and effort to engineer the E90 from the ground up for run-flats. Between their efforts and so-called 2nd gen RF tires, it seems that these downsides to RF tires have been all but eliminated.

For a driver interested in high performance a R/F, second generation, will not compare to
a 'regular' high performance tyre. Horses for courses. For 90% of drivers 90% of the time a R/F is fine.

It'll be interesting in some months when you have spirited E90 owners replacing their R/F's
with other tyres, their comments will be illuminating.

I don't get it... if you have a flat, are you gonna really run on those tires for miles and miles.. then what ?? you're going to find a garage...and voila... by some kind of miracle they're going to have the replacement tire you need in stock ??? Ain't gonna happen... If I do get a flat, I'll call my insurance company, then they're going to take my car, bring it to my preferred tire shop, change the tire and that's it.... I don't get it.. Runflats are not an advantage for me.. they're just noisier, more expansive and another mean to reduce the cost by not giving you a full spare...

I got a flat tire near a construction area in the city. I had to drive 5 miles on a flat tire because it was a single lane section. Boy my tired got destroyed. It was the middle of morning rush hour. Maybe 200 cars behind me in single file trying to get out. No sides lanes to stop. I wish I had a run flat to get off the damn highway that day.

I got a flat tire near a construction area in the city. I had to drive 5 miles on a flat tire because it was a single lane section. Boy my tired got destroyed. It was the middle of morning rush hour. Maybe 200 cars behind me in single file trying to get out. No sides lanes to stop. I wish I had a run flat to get off the damn highway that day.

BMW research backs Run-flat tyre fitment:
Research by the BMW Emergency Service has recently revealed the safety value of Run-flat tyres.

Comparing tyre-related roadside calls throughout 2003 and 2004 from BMW owners with models available with Run-flat tyres to those calls from owners whose BMWs were not available with Run-flat technology, revealed that 12,327 drivers would have been able to continue their journeys rather than brave the risky roadside wait for an emergency vehicle if their car tyres had featured Run-flat technology.

That's well over 100 drivers every week freed from the frustration of delayed appointments and cancelled arrangements as well as the dangers of wheel-changes on motorway hard shoulders.

Over one million tyre-related incidents are covered by the UK's major breakdown services each year on UK roads. Add to that the unrecorded numbers of frustrated drivers who have had a puncture and changed the wheel themselves (believed to be considerably higher than the one million figure) and it becomes clear that Run-flat tyre technology is a serious aid to roadside safety and driver convenience.

Conservative advice indicates that a driver can continue for 150 miles at 50mph with a punctured Run-flat tyre. During tyre testing, expert drivers regularly continue driving on a deflated Run-flat tyre for over 600 miles before the tyre eventually fails. Taking this into account it is little wonder that a host of car manufacturers are taking BMW's lead and introducing Run-flat tyre technology in the coming years.

I think run flat tires are all about saving weight and space for the automobile manufactures and they get the added benefit of advertising the safety side.

One of the bad things about being one of first with run-flats is that it will be a major pain in the ass having a run flat tire replaced. Until the tires become more main stream it will be very difficult to find your make and size replacement, especially when you are no where near a major city.